Connecting lines for gas bag systems are provided for inflating a gas bag with compressed gas and comprise a gas exit section extending into the gas bag, this gas exit section being provided with at least one gas exit port.
Gas bag-type occupant protection systems serve, for example, to protect the heads of vehicle occupants in case of a side impact collision. For this purpose a gas bag is deployed between the side windows and the head of the vehicle occupant in case of a collision. The gas bag is generally inflated by an inflator arranged on the C-pillar of the vehicle, this inflator being connected to the gas bag by a connecting line of the aforementioned kind. For the gas bag extending along the side windows of the vehicle to be able to be inflated uniformly the connecting line comprises a gas exit section extending by a considerable length into the gas bag. This gas exit section is also termed a gas lance and is provided with a plurality of gas exit ports. Due to this arrangement gas emerges over a considerable length of the gas bag which, depending on the type of vehicle involved, may amount to, for example, approximately 1.2 m, and the gas bag is uniformly inflated. The gas exit ports are usually formed by milled slots, roughly two to four such slots being provided within the gas bag. Since the gas on deployment of the gas bag flows within the gas lance at a very high velocity extending into the supersonic range, the slots must be of considerable length so that a sufficient amount of gas is able to exit laterally from the gas lance. Accordingly, milling these slots is time-consuming and expensive. In addition to this the milled gas exit ports weaken the structure of the gas lance and are difficult to deburr.
It is the object of the invention to simplify the manufacturing of the connecting line for a gas bag-type occupant protection system.